Dispensing container having a pocketed reciprocating article discharge assistant



Oct. 4, 1966 5 J. STEV 3,276,626

DISPENSING CONTAINER HAVING A ECIPROCATING ARTICLE DISCHA Filed Nov ENS POCKETE RGE ASSIST 25, 1964 INVENTOR STANLEY J. STEVENS BY [I If 7. /l mm, fil [bk/w 1 ATTORNEYS United States Patent DISPENSING CONTAINER HAVING A POCKETED RECIPROCATING ARTICLE DISCHARGE ASSIST- ANT Stanley J. Stevens, Lemont, Ill., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 413,937 Claims. (Cl. 221- -257) The invention relates to containers and primarily seeks to provide a novel container structure adapted for containing and dispensing individual units of fill, such as pills or tablets.

It is well known that children are very curious and observant, and there is considerable hazard in the extracting of pills or other potentially dangerous articles from packages in the presence of children. Many cases have come to light wherein a child observing an adult taking a pill from a container, upon first opportunity, has attempted to follow the procedure, sometimes with serious or even fatal consequences springing from extraction of a lethal dose of a plurality of pills. Therefore, it is a purpose of the present invention to provide an improved container structure which is in a sense childproof in that it is so formed that even an adult is called upon to extract or dispense the pills or comparable units of fill, one at a time.

In its more detailed nature the invention resides in providing a novel container of the unit delivery type wherein there are included a body having a breast and neck, and a plunger reciproca-ble in and through the neck and having a fill receiving pocket in one side thereof, a closure head at one'end and including means thereon for removable connection with the neck, and a stop on the other end of the plunger and engageable with the breast to resist removal of the plunger from the neck, the plunger being of a length greater than the neck length whereby when the plunger is retracted the closure head will engage in closing contact on the neck and the stop enlargement equipped end will project into the body to present the plunger pocket interiorly in fill receiving position, and when projected said plunger will extend without the neck in position for dispensing the fill from the pocket when the stop enlargement is engaged in projection limiting contact against the breast.

An object of the invention is to provide a container structure of the character stated wherein the fill receiving pocket is dimensioned to accommodate a single pill receivable in the pocket only when the plunger is fully retracted and dispensable from the pocket only when the plunger has been fully projected to engage the stop with the body breast.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container structure of the character stated wherein the stop enlargement on the plunger is deformable so that it can be moved through the neck upon initial mounting of the plunger and at any time it is desired to Wholly remove the plunger from the neck.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container structure of the character stated wherein the neck includes an external and downwardly facing snap shoulder and the closure head includes a snap skirt disposed for embracing the neck and contacting in plunger retaining engagement under said shoulder when the plunger is retracted.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a container structure of the character stated wherein the plunger including its stop enlargement and closure head is integrally formed of deformable plastic with the stop enlargement in the form of a flexible disk-like portion disposed for engagement against the container body breast.

3,276,626 Patented Oct. 4, 1966 "ice With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several Views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross sectional view, parts being in elevation showing the container of the present invention in the closed or plunger retracted condition.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 with the plunger shown in the projected or pill dispensing position.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 on FIGURE 2.

In the example of embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, the improved container structure includes a container or bottle 5 having a bottom 6, a breast 7 and a neck 8 upstanding or extending away from the breast. It is to be understood that the body 5 may be formed of glass or plastic. The neck has a finish 9 presenting an outwardly and downwardly flared portion 10 which merges into a downwardly facing snap shoulder 11.

A dispensing plunger 12 is provided and is equipped at one end with a closure head 13, and at its other end with a stop 14. The portion of the plunger intermediately of its ends is provided with a side cut out or dispensing pocket 15. The closure head 13 has a depending, outwardly spaced skirt 16 dimensioned to fit over the neck finish of the bottle, and at its lower end extremity the skirt is equipped with an inwardly projecting snap head or shoulder 17 for engagement under the shoulder 11 of the bottle neck finish when the plunger is in its closed position as illustrated in FIGURE 1.

It will be apparent by comparison of FIGURES 1 and 2 that the plunger is of greater length than the neck length so that when the plunger is retracted with the closure head 13 snapped over the bottle neck finish as in FIGURE 1 the inner or lower end of the plunger 12 will project into the container body to present the side pocket 15 interiorly of the bottle in a pill receiving position. When the plunger is projected to its pill dispensing position as shown in FIGURE 2, it will extend without the neck 8 as illustrated, and the stop 14 will engage in projection limiting contact against the interior surface of the bottle breast 7. It will be observed that the limiting stop 14 is in the form of a thin flexible disk, preferably feathered or edge thinned at 18, as illustrated.

It is to be understood that the bottle body 5, herein disclosed as round in horizontal section, may be oval, and it is to be understood also that the plunger 12 may be other than round, but in all instances its external surface bears sufliciently close to proximity to the internal surface of the bottle neck as to prevent lodgement of a pillbetween the plunger and the neck. The plunger is formed of a soft plastic, such as polyethylene or rubber, and thus the thin disk-like stop 14, 18 can be readily flexed and deformed to permit easy initial insertion of the plunger through the bottle neck 8 and into the interior of the bottle body. The stop will resist further withdrawal of the plunger at the position illustrated in FIGURE 2 but it will be apparent that upon the exerting of sufficient force in the outward pulling on the plunger, the stop 14, 18 can be flexed and deformed to permit complete withdrawal of the plunger from the bottle or container body.

In the use of the dispensing container the structure conditioned as in FIGURE 1 can be tilted on its side and manipulated to cause a single pill to be received in the pocket as illustrated in FIGURE 1, and then by projecting the plunger to the FIGURE 2 position, the single pill can be dispensed.

The container thus constructed can be said to be childproof in that it does not fully open in the conventional manner of containers of this type. The nature of manipulation above described makes it diflicult, if not impossible, for a small child to completely withdraw the plunger so as to enable the taking out of more than the desired limited amount of fill, in the illustrated example, a single pill.

While in the example disclosure herein, the structure has been illustrated as adapted for the dispensing of individual pills or tablets, it is to be understood that the same may be employed in dispensing other measured quantities or units of fill in the manner described.

While a preferred example of closure part arrange- I ment has been illustrated herein, it is to be understood that changes in the form and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

-I claim:

1. A dispensing plunger for use in a container having a body including a breast and a neck extending therefrom, said plunger comprising an elongated body of deformable plastic and including at one end a closure head formed to be engageable over the neck of such a container body and at its other end a stop enlargement dimensioned to be engageable with the body breast to resist withdrawal of the plunger from a container body on which it is mounted, said plunger having a fill receiving pocket intermediate the ends thereof and being of a length for projection into the interior of the container body when the closure head is engaged with the neck to place the pocket within the container body and for projection from the neck to place the stop enlargement against the breast and the pocket externally beyond the neck, said stop enlargement being in the form of a relatively thin disc and being deformable to pass through a container body neck upon initial mounting or whenever it is desired to remove the plunger wholly from its mounting.

2. A dispensing plunger as defined in claim 1 wherein the closure head includes a snap-over skirt dimensioned for embracing plunger securing contact with the neck of a container on which it may be mounted, and said stop enlargement being in the form of a relatively thin disc having a downwardly sloping upper surface.

3. A dispensing plunger as defined in claim 1 wherein the plunger is designed to dispense units of fill, the pocket in the plunger being dimensioned to receive only one such unit.

4. A dispensing container comprising, in combination a body including a breast and a neck extending away from the breast, and a dispensing plunger reciprocable in and through the neck and having a fill receiving pocket in one side thereof intermediate of the ends thereof, a closure head at one end of the plunger and having means thereon for removable connection with the neck, and a stop enlargement on the other end of the plunger and engageable with the breast to resist removal of the plunger from the neck, said plunger being of a length greater than the neck length whereby when the plunger is retracted the closure head will engage in closing contact on the neck and the stop enlargement equipped end will project into the body to present said pocket interiorly of the body in fill receiving position, and when projected said plunger will extend without the neck in position for dispensing the fill from the pocket when the stop enlargement is engaged in projection limiting contact against said breast, the plunger including its closure head and stop enlargement being integrally formed of deformable plastic with the stop enlargement in the form of a relatively thin flexible disc deformable to be moved through the neck upon initial mounting of the plunger in the neck and at any time it is desired to wholly remove the plunger from the neck.

5. A dispensing container comprising, in combination a body including a breast and a neck extending away from the breast, the neck including an exterior downwardly facing snap shoulder, and a dispensing plunger reciprocable in and through the neck and having a fill receiving pocket in one side thereof intermediate of the ends thereof, a closure head at one end of the plunger and having means thereon for removable connection with the neck and including a snap skirt disposed for embracing the neck and contacting in plunger retaining engagement under said shoulder when the plunger is retracted, and a stop enlargement on the other end of the plunger and engageable with the breast to resist removal of the plunger from the neck, said plunger being of a length greater than the neck length whereby when the plunger is retracted the closure head will engage in closing contact on the neck and the stop enlargement equipped end will project into the body to present said pocket interiorly of the body in fill receiving position, and when projected said plunger will extend without the neck in position for dispensing the fill from the pocket when the stop enlargement is engaged in projection limiting contact against said breast, the plunger including its closure head and stop enlargement being integrally formed of deformable plastic with the stop enlargement in the form of a relatively thin flexible disc deformable to be moved through the neck upon initial mounting of the plunger in the neck and at any time it is desired to wholly remove the plunger from the neck.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,289,446 12/1918 Grifiiths 141322 X 2,891,704 6/1959 Morrison 222-543 3,167,218 1/1965 Graham 222361 FOREIGN PATENTS 794,682 2/1936 France. 477,336 1/1953 Italy.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. WALTER SOBIN, Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSING PLUNGER FOR USE IN A CONTAINER HAVING A BODY INCLUDING A BREAST AND A NECK EXTENDING THEREFROM, SAID PLUNGER COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY OF DEFORMABLE PLASTIC AND INCLUDING AT ONE END A CLOSURE HEAD FORMED TO BE ENGAGEABLE OVER THE NECK OF SUCH A CONTAINER BODY AND AT ITS OTHER END A STOP ENLARGEMENT DIMENSIONED TO BE ENGAGEABLE WITH THE BODY BREAST TO RESIST WITHDRAWAL OF THE PLUNGER FROM A CONTAINER BODY ON WHICH IT IS MOUNTED, SAID PLUNGER HAVING A FILL RECEIVING POCKET INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF AND BEING OF A LENGTH FOR PROJECTION INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER BODY WHEN THE CLOSURE HEAD IS ENGAGED WITH TH E NECK TO PLACE THE POCKET WITHIN THE CONTAINER BODY AND FOR PROJECTION FROM THE NECK TO PLACE THE STOP ENLARGEMENT AGAINST THE BREAST AND THE POCKET EXTERNALLY BEYOND THE NECK, SAID STOP ENLARGEMENT BEING IN THE FORM OF A RELATIVELY THIN DISC AND BEING DEFORMABLE TO PASS THROUGH A CONTAINER BODY NECK UPON INITIAL MOUNTING OR WHENEVER IT IS DESIRED TO REMOVE THE PLUNGER WHOLLY FROM ITS MOUNTING. 